National bank · United States

Capital One credit cards

Mass-market issuer spanning subprime to premium, with the Venture miles program and Capital One Lounges. Acquired Discover (approved May 2025) and is moving Discover accounts onto its platform.

TypeNational bank
CountryUnited States
Cards we review6

About Capital One

Capital One is a national bank and mass-market card issuer, best known for its Venture miles cards, from the Capital One Venture to the premium Capital One Venture X, and for simple cash-back cards like Quicksilver and Savor. Its lineup runs from the Capital One Platinum Secured to premium travel cards, and it now owns Discover after the acquisition was approved in 2025.

Capital One suits you if you are building credit, want straightforward miles, or travel abroad, since none of its U.S.-issued cards charge a foreign transaction fee. Its pre-approval tool lets you check offers first with no harm to your credit score. The limitation: Capital One is widely reported to approve only about one new card every six months, so it is hard to collect several of its cards quickly.

Notable Capital One cards

  • Capital One Venture X
  • Capital One Venture
  • Capital One Savor
  • Capital One Quicksilver
  • Capital One Platinum
  • Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Capital One cards compared

CardAnnual feeRewardsIntro APRForeign feeCredit neededRating
Capital One Venture X RewardsTravelers wanting premium perks at a lower net cost
$395/yr 10x hotels & cars via Capital One Travel, 5x flights via portal, 2x ev… None None Excellent (740+) 4.8
Capital One Venture RewardsTravelers who want flat-rate miles with zero category tracking
$95/yr 5x hotels & cars via portal, 2x miles on all other purchases None None Good to Excellent (700+) 4.6
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit CardDining, grocery and streaming spenders who want plain cash back
None 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery… 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 month… None Good to Excellent (700+) 4.5
Capital One Quicksilver Cash RewardsPeople who want dead-simple flat cash back with no fee
None 1.5% on all purchases, 5% on hotels & cars via Capital One Travel 0% intro APR on purchases & balance transfers for 15 months None Good (690+) 4.4
Capital One Platinum SecuredPeople rebuilding credit who want a low or flexible deposit
None No rewards — focused on credit building None None Limited / Rebuilding 4.3
Capital One Venture Business CardBusiness owners who want flat-rate travel miles
$95/yr 2 miles per $1 on every purchase; 5 miles per $1 on hotels, vacation r… None None Good to excellent

Approval rules and tips

1 new card per 6 months; anecdotal limit of about 5 personal Capital One cards; 48-month bonus rule on the Venture family.

  • Check Capital One's pre-approval tool first; Capital One says it causes no harm to your credit score.
  • Widely reported: approvals are limited to roughly one new Capital One card every six months.
  • Widely reported: most people cannot hold more than about five personal Capital One cards.
  • Venture-family welcome bonuses are widely reported to be off-limits if you earned one in the past 48 months.
  • If your credit is limited, the Platinum Secured card uses a refundable deposit to open the account.

How to apply for a Capital One card

Apply at capitalone.com or in the Capital One Mobile app. Start with the official pre-approval check, which Capital One says causes no harm to your credit score and shows matching offers in a few steps; a full application then leads to a hard inquiry. Have your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, employment status, annual income and monthly housing payment ready before you begin.

Customer service: www.capitalone.com · 1-800-227-4825

Got a new Capital One card?Activation guideOnline, app and phone steps.
How to activate

Capital One FAQs

What credit cards does Capital One offer?

Capital One's notable cards include Capital One Venture X, Capital One Venture, Capital One Savor, Capital One Quicksilver, Capital One Platinum. See the cards we review below for fees, rewards and APRs.

Does Capital One have special approval rules?

1 new card per 6 months; anecdotal limit of about 5 personal Capital One cards; 48-month bonus rule on the Venture family.

How do I apply for a Capital One credit card?

Apply on www.capitalone.com. Check any pre-qualification tool first — it uses a soft inquiry that does not affect your credit score.

How do I activate a new Capital One card?

See our step-by-step guide to activating a Capital One Mastercard (Canada) — online, in the app or by phone.

Do Capital One cards charge foreign transaction fees?

No. Capital One says none of its U.S.-issued credit cards charge foreign transaction fees, and that includes its business cards. That makes even its no-annual-fee cards, such as Quicksilver and SavorOne, a practical choice for purchases made abroad or in foreign currencies online.

What happened to Discover after Capital One bought it?

Capital One completed its acquisition of Discover after approval in 2025 and began moving Discover card accounts onto Capital One systems on July 27, 2026, in waves expected to run through 2027. Discover-branded cards are still offered on discover.com, which now notes that it is a Capital One webpage.

Does Capital One offer a secured card?

Yes. The Capital One Platinum Secured card is designed for people with limited or rebuilding credit and uses a refundable security deposit to open the account. Like Capital One's other cards, it has no foreign transaction fee. Deposit amounts and credit lines depend on your application, so check the current terms before you apply.

Official Capital One site